KC Acquires Humberto Quintero and Jason Bourgeois

Dayton Moore’s search for a catcher to tandem with Brayan Pena to start the season has ended today. The Royals acquired veterans Humberto Quintero (catcher) and Jason Bourgeois (OF) from the Houston Astros in exchange for left-handed relief prospect Kevin Chapman and a PTBNL.

In order to make roster space for both players, the Royals moved Perez and Pina to the 60-day DL.

The Royals have been on the prowl lately, looking for someone to help the team out while both Salvador Perez and Manny Pina recover from their respective injuries. Dayton was seeking a veteran catcher with a good glove and a quick catch-release. It was said that he was considering the likes of Ivan Rodriguez, Corky Miller, and Wil Nieves. But all along, Humberto Quintero apparently was his #1 target. The addition of Quintero fills the team’s most glaring and obvious hole. Jason Bourgeois is an interesting piece in this trade, as the Royals already have a guy with a similar skill set in Jarrod Dyson. But the one advantage that Bourgeois has over Dyson is his versatility. He is capable of playing all 3 OF positions, as well as 2B and possibly 3B.

Just as his numbers show you, Quintero is clearly a defense-first catcher, which is exactly what Dayton Moore was wanting to team up with offense-first catcher Brayan Pena. At 32, he’s got 9 big league seasons under his belt, so he’ll bring along with him a veteran presence that I’m sure the pitching staff will greatly appreciate.

He’s never been a full-time catcher (career high 88 games played in 2010), so he’s already very familiar with the role he’ll be filling in KC. Dayton went as far to say that Quintero may stay on board even after Sal Perez returns from his injury, possibly hinting at the fate of Brayan Pena.

Jason Bourgeois has spent the past 2 seasons as a part-time/fill-in player for Houston, but managed to play in 93 games in 2011 due to the Michael Bourn trade. He made the most of his opportunity, hitting .294/.323/.357 and had 31 SB (6 CS), while making appearances at all 3 OF positions and 2B.

While he’s not as fast as Dyson (and who is…), Bourgeois offers up the defensive versatility that could ultimately be the deciding factor this Spring when it comes down to the two for one roster spot.

Kevin Chapman is a 24-year old LHP reliever who was the Royals’ 4th round pick out of the U of Florida in 2010. He has a career ERA over 5 in 2 minor league seasons.

The PTNBL is unknown at this time, although it won’t be much more than a mid-to-lower level prospect.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Royals will continue to seek catching help – most likely for depth at the Triple A level.